Oreius's Girl
by TulcaRau
Summary: A centaur finds a human foal in the forbidden forest. Unlike most of the humans, she seems to trust the centaurs explicitly. And who is this Oreius that she keeps talking about?
1. Chapter 1

**Yet another idea I've had rattling around in my brain. Where do these ideas come from? If I figure it out, I'll be sure to let you know! Also, I don't know too much about the culture of the centaurs of the forbidden forest - or any centaurs for that matter. So, back to one of my favorite pastimes! Time to go invent a culture! Maybe I'll do another one shot later on that develops this idea a little more.  
**

Arphad stared into the shadows under a large tree, wondering why on earth one of the human foals had come so far away from the school. She was huddled at the roots of the tree, staring out at the forest and shaking slightly. At first he though that she was afraid, but he saw the determined glint in her eye and how her teeth chattered. Not afraid, then, but cold.

She looked up, and saw him standing in the shadows on the other side of the clearing. She obviously couldn't see him well, and she peered carefully in his direction.

"Oreius?" She asked softly. "Is that you?"

He resisted the urge to snort, wondering who this Oreius was. It sounded like a centaur's name, but there was none in the herd that was called by that name.

"My name is not Oreius." He informed her firmly. "Who are you, foal, and why do you wander in dark places? You may be hurt if you are not careful."

"If you are not Oreius, who are you?" The foal challenged.

"I am called Arphad." He answered slowly, seeing no harm in telling her. He would have to help her get to the hut of the half-giant. The man would return her to wherever she belonged.

"Arphad. It is a centaur's name, yes?"

"It is." He acknowledged, wondering where she was going with this.

"Oh, alright then." She stepped forward, into the moonlight. "Can you take me to Oreius?"

"Who is this Oreius?" He challenged. "It is the name of a centaur, yet none in my herd have this name."

She paused. "You do not know Oreius? How can that be? There are no longer as many centaurs as there were before the Great War. So many died in battle. Orieus told me that the herds would be great again in time, but for now there are few enough that he knows all by name. How can you not know the name of your general?"

Arphad snorted. "I answer only to one leader."

She cocked her head. "But you will help me?"

"What makes you think that I have any desire to help a human foal?"

"Oreius said that if I ever needed help, I was to go to the centaurs. He said that of all the half-peoples, his were the most trustworthy. He said that I would be protected, that I could always count on his people."

"Oreius said this, Oreius said that. I do not know this Oreius, and am not bound by his words. Why should your Oreius care if you come to harm?"

She cocked her head again. "Why wouldn't he? He is my guardian, and my friend. He protects and cares for me, without needing even my father's request. He has said often that I am like a foal of his herd. If I come to harm, he will fight for me as fiercely as he would for any of the herd. I spend as much time with the half-peoples as I do my own people, now." She added.

"Then how come you are here by yourself?" He was beginning to be truly curious in spite of himself.

"Father asked him to scout the northern borders. The giants have been giving us trouble again, and there is no one that Father trusts so much as Oreius. but it was too dangerous for me to go, so I had to remain behind. Oreius wanted me to stay with the herd, but Aunt Susan overruled him and said that I was to stay in the castle. She doesn't like that I spend so much time with the herd - she wants me to be a proper lady. What Aunt Susan considers a proper lady, however, is rather snooty and dead boring. I don't like it."

"Yes, get on with it." Arphad stamped a hoof impatiently. He was getting the picture that this child was not from here at all, though she could not be a muggle. She was too familiar with magical creatures for that. More importantly, however, he was getting the feeling that he was being watched - and in a place like the Forbidden Forest, that was never a good feeling to have.

"Well, they must have thought that it was a good time to try and kidnap me, since Oreius wasn't there to protect me. I guess they were right - but really it was Aunt Susan's fault. She was the one who took me out in the garden to lecture me, and didn't take the proper guards along. I hope that she is alright, but I expect so. They were after me, not her."

"Who are 'they', and why would they want you?" He asked.

"Well, they are the last remnants of the creatures who fought against us in the Great War. I think that they were mostly weres, but there may have been a hag or two. I am not sure. And they want me as a bargaining chip to use against Father, of course. Such are the occupational hazards of being the High King's daughter." She shrugged.

"You do not seem terribly concerned."

"I got away from my them, and this forest seems to be vast. I don't think they will find me quickly. Father will do everything that he can to find me, and Oreius will come for me soon. I do not see a lot of reasons to panic."

A growl sounded behind her, and a man slinked out of the shadows. Arphad could see the shapes of several more that had yet to show themselves.

"Think you got away so easy, girl?" He snarled. "Think again."

She whirled, and backed toward the centaur.

"I'm thinking." She said softly. "And I stand by what I said. Oreius will come for me."

"He'll come to find your bones picked clean and shining white in the moonlight!" With a howl, the man turned into a wolf and dove at her, the shapes in the shadows behind did the same.

Without even thinking, Arphad lunged forward. He shielded the foal with his body and swept her into his arms, turning and galloping away. The wolves were strong and fast, but could not hope to keep up with the centaur. He had the knowledge of the forest on his side, after all.

He glanced down at the girl in his arms, and was surprised to find her pale and clutching her arm. One of the wolves had managed to wound her before he reached her, and there were long claw marks trailing from her shoulder to her elbow.

"We will soon be with my herd." He soothed her sternly, unused to comforting foals. "We will treat your wound there."

When he galloped into the Herd Grounds, the other centaurs were all shocked. They yelled and berated him for bringing a human to their hidden home, and for kidnapping her from the magic school. He quickly put an end to the uproar, addressing his leader.

"She is merely a foal, Magorian, and she is hurt. Should I have thrown her to the wolves?"

That shut everyone up.

"She claims to be the herd-child of one named Oreius where she comes from."

"It is the name of a centaur." Magorian said gravely.

Arphad carefully set her down on the ground, and one of the mares clucked at the injury on her arm. Whether the herd approved of his bringing her here or not, they wouldn't leave her to suffer. The mares quickly set about cleaning and bandaging the wound.

"What happened?" Magorian asked, finally.

"We were attacked. They were werewolves, Magorian, but unlike any that I have ever seen. They took on their beast forms with no more than a thought, and without the light of the full moon."

Magorian looked grave.

"Oh, they always do that." The human foal piped up. "Uncle Edmund calls them rotten pests, and says it sometimes makes them hard to track down, because they can change so quickly and hide so easily. But he says that if you get close enough to smell them, you can always tell." She wrinkled her nose. "They stink." She added flatly.

Even the stern centaurs couldn't hide a small bit of mirth at the last statement.

"How old are you, foal?" Magorian questioned.

"Twelve summers." She answered, naturally listing her age the way centaurs did.

"You speak as one of our own foals." Magorian puzzled.

"Well, Oreius practically raised me. I spend more time with him than with anyone but Father. And Uncle Edmund sometimes, but that is mostly because he loves the herd as much as I do, and tries to spend all his time there. Aunt Susan gets frustrated with him, because sometimes he tries to skip meetings with the Calormene ambassadors. He says that they are boring, and he would rather be in the woods where they can't find him. All the foals love him."

Magorian was still puzzled, but found himself amused again. This foal was not like any of the human foals they had encountered before.

"Where are you from, foal? What is your name?"

"I'm Hanna. But my herd name is Cowesse. I like it better, but Aunt Susan says that not everyone understands herd names, so I should use my human name. But you understand herd names, so it's ok. And I'm from Cair Paravel, but I like Lantern Waste and Dancing Lawn better. That's where Uncle Edmund is the Duke of, and where most of the herd stays."

The centaurs only grew more and more puzzled. Magorian tried again.

"I do not know these names, foal. Where is this Cair Paravel, and Lantern Waste?"

She stared at him briefly. "In Narnia, of course. Cair Paravel is by the sea, and Lantern Waste is by the Western Wilds."

"I know of no Narnia." Magorian murmured.

Suddenly, the little girl grew thoughtful. "What is this place called then? Maybe they took me too far in the Wilds, and we passed the lantern."

"This is the Forbidden Forest, Cowesse." He told her.

She cocked her head. "But _where_?"

"At the edge of Hogwarts, in Scotland."

Her eyes lit up. "They did take me too far! Father talks about the lands beyond the lamp post sometimes. He said something about a place called Scotland." She smiled.

"How do we return her to her home?" Arphad asked softly. "She says that her friend Orieus will find her, but I think that maybe he will not know where to look."

Magorian deliberated for a long time, and finally sighed.

"Firenze? Take this foal to the human school. The Headmaster will know what is to be done."

Cowesse shook her head. "No. I won't go. Humans are tricky, and often can't be trusted. Oreius said that I should trust the centaurs, and most of the half-people, but never trust a son of Adam or daughter of Eve unless Father does. Or my uncle or aunts."

The centaurs exchanged glances, unsure what to do. Magorian opened his mouth to persuade her, when suddenly her eyes lit up.

"Oreius!" She cried, and flung herself across the Herd Grounds.

The centaurs all turned to see her held carefully in the arms of the tallest, sternest centaur they had ever seen. He was much bigger than their kind, and easily a great deal stronger. He stared them all down, obviously deciding if they were threats.

"You are well, little one?" He asked softly, glancing down at the child in his arms. She had her own arms wrapped around his torso in a fierce hug.

"Yes, I'm fine. The centaurs took care of me, just like you said." She turned and gestured to Arphad. "He found me, and saved me from the weres. His name is Arphad."

Orieus stared hard at Arphad, before nodding. "I thank you. Come foal. Your father and uncle and their men are near, but were not permitted to pass the lantern. They are worried for you, as is the herd."

She smiled. "Ok." Glancing back over her shoulder, she waved at Arphad. "Goodbye - thank you!"

With that, Oreius carefully carried her away into the gloom of the forest, and they were lost to sight, leaving the herd to wonder at the events of that night.

 **Cowesse/Hanna is cover photo**


	2. Chapter 2

The battle raged fiercely. Hogwarts was slowly being torn, blasted, smashed, and spelled into pieces. The defenders were beginning to despair - even if Harry Potter managed to find and kill Voldemort, they would still have to contend with his followers, and they were quickly losing ground. It was into the middle of this chaos that a young woman walked, a sword in her hands, her head held high.

At her side stalked a centaur, taller and stronger than almost anyone had ever seen. The centaurs of the Forbidden Forest, however, had not forgotten the strange human foal and her centaur friend. They bowed in deference to their regal kin.

A sort of hush fell on the battle as more and more creatures began to appear, coming from the forest. First it was a legion of centaurs, tall and strong like Oreius. Then there was a host of new creatures - half man, half goat. A howl went up and a number of wolves - real wolves, not weres - came rushing through the trees. Following them were a number of large cats, all growling. The sound of wings in the sky caused heads to turn up, and everyone saw a great many winged creatures - gryphons, eagles, hawks, and owls - descending on the grounds. Some very small people appeared next, but no one was able to get a really good look at them. A few giants trundled out of the woods, huge clubs that looked to be made from entire trees resting on their shoulders. Last of all, a herd of horses, tall, regal, and proud, trotted out of the forest and pranced through the ranks to stand in the front of the new host, near the centaurs.

The two sides stared at the newcomers, and all fighting had ceased.

The girl quickly scanned the centaurs that were native to the area, and then her eyes lit up.

"Arphad! I am glad to see that you are well. Here, my father has sent some reinforcements. I trust that my men can be useful?"

With a shriek of rage, Bellatrix LeStrange cast a random crucio into the crowd of new creatures. Instantly one of the little people bent a sturdy-looking bow and sent an arrow through her heart, and the poor faun that had been hit with the torture curse relaxed. That seemed to be the catalyst, as the fight began anew. This time, however, it was becoming clearer and clearer who was going to win. In fact, the witches and wizards mostly limited themselves to shielding their new allies, rather than actually fighting.

Eerie screams rang out above the fighting as the aerial reinforcements dove at the enemy, slashing them with sharp talons or flinging them high in the air to be killed by sharp beaks. When the Death Eaters tried to fly around in their weird black smoke forms, the newcomers would knock them from the air.

On the ground, the giants had engaged with the (much smaller) version of their own people that Voldemort had brought. A couple also took out after the trolls, smashing them to the ground and breaking their skulls with the great clubs.

No one stopped fighting to see Harry Potter kill Voldemort. They only knew that he was dead because suddenly every Death Eater fell to the ground, writhing in agony. Still, even with those fighters out of commission, there were rather a lot of enemies to be taken care of.

The fight lasted till the dawn, and then it was all over. The surviving leaders of light gathered around the young woman that had brought such aid to them. No one seemed to have any idea who she was - she had greeted that centaur, but he wasn't saying anything - and they were quite ready to find out.

The girl was setting her men in order with the aid of the tall centaur that had stayed at her side all through the battle. They were leaving, everyone realized, as though they had come only for the battle and now considered their role over.

"Not to seem rude - but who _are_ you?" Ron asked - ever the diplomat.

"Oh. I am Cowesse."

The centaur beside her gave her a look.

"Right. Sorry. I always forget to give my human name, not my herd name. I am Princess Hanna, daughter of High King Peter, who has more titles than anyone should ever have to deal with. I have rather a lot myself, but I prefer to just be called Cowesse. Or Hanna, if you absolutely must."

Her speech left everyone except Hermione Granger rather confused.

"High King Peter? The legends are true then - there is an alternate universe containing the land of Narnia?"

The girl's eyes lit up. "I see you know my father's name. I shall have to tease him endlessly about that. I really must hurry, though. He is waiting anxiously for me - he couldn't come past the lamppost himself, but allowed me to come and bring help. We've been watching you all for quite some time. There is a hermit up in Archenland who - you know what, never-mind. That's not relevant. But when I heard how the battle was going, I had to do something. The centaurs were so kind when I came here before, and I couldn't just let everyone die. So I went to Father, and he eventually agreed - he wasn't reluctant because he didn't want to help, but because he's always worried about me - and we came. I'm just glad that we were able to help."

Minerva wondered when, if ever, this girl took time to breathe.

"We are most thankful for your kind assistance." The Gryffindor Head of House said formally.

"I wish we could have come sooner. We might have saved a few lives - but what is done is done." She said firmly, as if to reprove herself. Then she turned to the centaur. "Everyone ready?" She asked.

"Yes." He returned.

"We'd better go, then." She decided. "Before Father sends a search party after us." She pulled a necklace off her neck, and held it out to Ron Weasley. "Here. I can't do much, but I can do this. I know that your brother was hurt. If there's even the smallest part of him that still lives, this can heal him. Break it, and pour the drop of liquid inside into his mouth. One drop of Fireflower juice can heal anything, as long as life remains. I'm sorry, I only have one."

With that, there was a virtual whirlwind of strange creatures leaving, and then all the newcomers were gone from Hogwarts.

Ron ran as fast as he could back to the Great Hall and, trembling, carefully broke the small crystal of the necklace. He was lucky that he managed to catch the drop of liquid inside on his finger before it fell to the floor and was lost. He wasn't quite sure how to get the drop into his brother's mouth, and eventually just stuck his finger in - weird as that seemed...

His family was watching silently, trying to figure out what he was doing, as none of them had been present for the conversation with the Princess.

He sat there staring at Fred for several minutes before deciding that it hadn't worked. With a yell, he stomped on the remains of the crystal from the necklace and stormed toward the doors of the Great Hall.

"Oi. What are you all staring at me for? Don't tell me I'm holey too."

Ron stopped, and George let out his own yell before practically attacking his twin with a bear hug.

 **I had to do it. I didn't originally intend for this to be any more than a one-shot, but then I started working on the second part...And I couldn't just let Fred die, not if Fireflower would save him. But I thought that saving everyone was kind of overkill, so I didn't. Does that make me a bad person?**


End file.
